Apparatus for removing water, gasoline, and the like from lubricating oils



Nov. 8, 1927.

P.. M. FREER APPARATUS FOR REMOVING WATER, GASOLINE, AND THE- LIKE FROM LUBRICATING OILS Original Filed May '7, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 S n m f f m, s f m A A M www Q MF Nov. s, 1927. y 1,648,172

P. M. FREER APPARATUS FOR REMOVIHG WATER, GASOLINE, AND THE LIKE FROM LUBRICATING OILS Original Filed May- 7, 1924 ,2 Sheets-Sheet 2 31a/vanto@ bkoznald 6 www f' Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

maant:

@ENCE PHELPS M. FREER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

APrARATUs Fora REMovrNe WATER, easonmnnnn THE oILs.

application mea May 7, v1924., semi No. 711,693. nneweaaprn 1a, '71527.' Y Y It is an object of the invention to pro vide VVfor circulating the lubricant supply of an internal combustion engine and for removal of adulterants and foreign matter from `said supply in the course of its circulation.

Another object is to circulate the lubricant supply of an internal combustion engine at a speed substantiallyv independent Y of variations in the engine speed, and torelease foreign matter from said lubricant durf ing such circulation.

Another object is to provide forheating the air delivered-to the carburetor of an engine and mixing with said Vair vaporized fuel or water removed from the lubricant supply ofsaid engine.

These and various other objects are at tained by the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying 'drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a ,view in side elevationof r an engine, having the herein described lubrieating system.

`Figure 2 isa sectional elevation of a cylinder of said engine, taken on line 2-,-2 offl- Figure 1. u

Figure 2A is a modification ofthe structure shown in Figure 2. Y

Figure 3 is asectional elevation of a lubricant-purifying device.

Figure 4 is a view in sectional `elevation culating .systemKV associated therewith.

Fioure 5 is a sectional. view of the means` 0 eign liquids from the lubricant supply of saidv engine by circulating said supply, filtering it during such circulation and subjecting it to heat derived eitherfrom the exhaust gases of an engine, and of an alternative 'oil cir? 7 are views similar to Linn FROM LUBRICATING orsomeA other suitable source, to maintain circulation 'and vaporize foreign liquids.V

Thus, aboye a portion 7 of the exhaust con-` duit, the invention mounts a purifying dea pipe 12, which communicates through al manifold '.12a with theoutlets 13 ofannular 0f the. cylchannels '14, formed interiorly inders 2, in `their lower portions. s Each 'ofsaid channels, as Figure 2 shows, is so located that the lowermost piston ring 14=L lies just above said. channel inl the lower' p Thus said lowerring tends on the down-stroke to carry any excessA of lubricant Vupon thev cylinder; wall intosthey channel 14. f

Int-he modication shown in Figure 2A the limiting positionof the piston.

channel'14? inthe cylinder wall is formed inpartby aremovable sleeve-14C.

. A disk check valve 15, locatedin avalve chamber 16: just abovefthe annular chamber 10', controls ports 17 which connect v,the chambers 1()l and'16.: yFrom said valve cham-y ber there rises centrally within the purify.- ing device .a tube 1 8', havingon its upper end aconical spreader 19 and spaced above `the latter isa deflector'20`, carried by the upper portion rof awall 21.

the rmember8 there is formed a chamber 22, receivingv4 heated air through. a .connection 23v from a heater 24 adjacent the exhaust manifold, and which delivers said air Between saidy Wall and the outer Wall of vice 8. In the bottom portion of VSaid dg." Y

through a pipe 25 tothefcarbureter 26. 27 I is the throttle valve controlling the flow of,

explosive mixture from said carbureter, and 28 is a valve controlling delivery to the car# bureter of unheated air. through an .inlet'29f To the throttle 127 is connected anactuating arm 30, to which is pivoted a rod 31, engageable throughk a predetermined opening movement of the throttle,.with an arm 31L controlling the valve 28, to open the latter and admit yunheated air to the jcarbureter. lA spring 31b normally holds the valve 28 closed.` n g Q32 is, a collecting chamberkformed cen-` trally within the separating device 8and device. l The lubricant flows into said trap 33 an outlet connection from said chamber to a trap 34 which may be integral with said at a point below the-level of a filter screen 35 therein, and discharges at a point above said 'screen into a cooling coil 36,537 is a discharge connection from said coil into the crank-case. Y

In the use of the described apparatus, theV the exhaust heat forms globules of gas or steam in the boiling chamber 9, which globules, in rising through the tube 18 intermittently raise the liquid level therein, re-A sulting in successivedischarges from the top of said tube. The disk 15 acts as a check v valve permitting a free flow of lubricant into the chamber 9 but preventing pressure within said chamber from finding relief through the ports17. lThe member. 20 llaterally deiiects the lubricant discharging from the tube 18, causing it to flow down upon the spreader 19 and into the collecting chamber 32.- From the latter, the lubricant flows by gravity through the trap 34 and cooling coil 36', re-

turning finally tothe 'crank-case. In passing through the filter screen 35 of said trap,

4the lubricant is freed from sediment or-any' solid matter which may be carried in suspension. I I

Any water, gasoline, or other liquid adulterantsthat maybe mixed withthe lubricant entering the purifying device 8 will'be va.-

, porized either by. the heating ofthe lubricant ythrough to the carbureter. Y

The described device keeps `the lubricating in said device, or by spreading of the lubricant in a thin film on the spreader 20 and wall 21. The water vapor or gases thus releasedenter the chamber 22` and mix with y thev current of heated air v.flowing y thereoil free from impurities, both liquid and solid, and further eifects an economy of such oil and more efficient operation by preventing any rise ofthe oil past-the engine pis- `tons into thecombustion chambers.

In Figure 3, there is shown one form of a thermostatic control which may be employed to automatically regulate the degree of heat applied Vto the boiling A'chamber 9. Thus, there is secured to saidr chamber a' strip 38 formed of two overlapped metals which are differentially expansive, when heated. Said strip is adapted at moderate engine temperatures, to bear upon the exhaust con-duit, providing path for convectionv travel ofheat to the chamber 9. When, however, the teinperature of vsaid strip risesbeyond. a prede- .te'rmined point, the vdi ferential expansion of its component metals v withdraws the strip from contact with the exhaust pipe as Figure 3 kindicates in dash lines, the convection transfer of heat being thusV stopped.

Also inl Figure 3, there is shown within the chamber 9 an `electric heating element which may be energized if desired,` to suppleing in tube 45 effects successive discharges ofthe liquid therefrom. The discharged f liquid is delivered through a coolingcoil 46 to bearings 47, whence it drips back intothe crank-case. Y y

In that form ofthe purifyingdevice dis- 'closedy in Figure 6, Vthe 'lubricant fron'rthe through a pipe 49'there being a disk checkvalve 50 withinsaid chamber centrolling the openingin the bottoni thereof te which said pipe leads. `lisa tube rising 'fromthe chamber 48 wherein the lubricant is adapted tov be raised by the formation of vapor or gas in the chamber 48.V The lubricant is heated either by an exhaust pipe V52 arranged above and adjacent to the chamber 48 or* byan electrical resistor 53 disposed in the lower portion of the tube 51, or by both.` Y

The further modification ofthe purifying device shown in Figure 7 differs from the construction' already described only in the omission of a check-valve.

It is vto be noted thatwhen tion and purification of the lubricant begins only when the engine andcirculation means have been heated to ay certain extent through` operation of said engine. y Y

When the heating meansv for the circulation system is electrical or otherwise inde-V pendent of the exhaust heat, the circulation may be maintained if desired, even when the engine is at rest.

What I claim as my invention'is'zi 1. A lubricating circulation system for internalV combustion engines, comprising means for vaporizing liquid impurities in al portion-of said system and for raising the lubricant in said portion to a'higher 'level` by means of the vapor-ized impurities.

2. lubricant purifying device .comprising a boiling chamber for the lubricant, a tube rising from said -chamber through which the lubricant is adapted to be elevated by vapor generated ingsaid chamber, and a spreader receiving the discharge from`the. upper end of said tube.l

3. In .a lubrication system, the combination with an internal combustion engine comprising a crank-case forming'a lubricant reservoir, of an outlet Yconnectionfleading from said reservoir, means' for purifyingV the describedV vdevice utilizes only exhaust heat, the circula-v crank-case enters va boiling chamber "4S Vli) and elevating a lubricant discharging from the crank-case through said connection by the application of heat, and means for cooling said lubricant in its return to the crank CaSe.

4. The method of purifying the lubricant supply of an engine, comprising heating the lubricant to maintain its circulation and effect vaporization of liquid impurities.

5. The metliod'of effecting circulation of an adulterated lubricant and of removing a liquid adulterant therefrom comprising vaporization of the adulterantand elevation of the lubricant in a portion ot' said system of lubricant from said reservoir responsive tov an application of the exhaust heat of said engine..

8. A lubricating circulation system for internal combustion engines comprising means for vaporizing liquid in a portion or' said system and for raising the lubricant in lsaid portion to a higher level by means of said vaporization.

9. A lubricant purifying device compris-k ing a boiling chamber for the lubricant, a

tube rising through said chamber through which the lubricant is adapted to be ele-V vated bythe vapor generated in said chamber n and a iilter for the lubricant. l f n -l0. In a lubrication system for internal combustion engines having an exhaust manifold, a -lubricant reservoir, and meansy dependent upon. the exhaust gases passing through said manifold for maintaining the circulation-of the lubricant by vaporizing the liquid adulteiating the lubricant.

1l. In an oil delivery system for lubrica tion of an internal combustion engine, a

source of heat, means for maintaining av delivery of oil by an application of heat from said source to said system andthermostatically controlled means for regulating the application of said heat to said system. I

l2. The combination With an internal combustion engine having a lubricant reservoir and an exhaust manifold, means for utilizing the heat of the exhaust to effect a circulation of said lubricant, and means for automatically regulating the amount of heat applied from said exhaust to said system.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

Y PHELPS M. FREER. 

